Explore the key moments of a year in which a perfect knowledge of our plots enabled us to make the right decisions at every stage.
Explore the key moments of a year in which a perfect knowledge of our plots enabled us to make the right decisions at every stage.
May 2022: Nascence of the 2023 vintage
The 2023 vintage actually dates back to 2022, for the very hot, dry weather seen during flowering created the conditions for the 2023 vintage’s especially high cluster count.
November 2022 – January 2023: Replenishment of water supplies
Novembre et janvier apportent une bonne quantité de précipitations, permettant de recharger les sols avant le début du
cycle végétatif d’autant plus que la vigne avait été mise à rude épreuve en 2022.
February – March 2023: Homogenous bud break
Consistently mild weather beginning in the second half of March warmed the vineyard’s soils and led to very homogenous bud break.
April – May 2023: Early, qualitative flowering
Protected from frost in early April thanks to the influence of the Gironde Estuary on the estate’s microclimate, the vineyard enjoyed warm weather in spring that accelerated the first phase of the growth cycle.
Temperatures rose above 30 °C (86 °F) during a heat wave on May 27-31, triggering early, rapid flowering that was remarkably homogenous, like in 2005.
June – July 2023: Apt, bold choices
Meticulous leaf thinning was carried out earlier than usual to allow air to circulate among the clusters and protect the vineyard from disease. After rains in June, the estate’s teams stopped working the soils very early on to protect the vines from mildew and hasten the onset of water stress.
The summer began without extremely hot weather, but average temperatures remained high thanks to especially warm nights, and this favored the growth of the vine. Veraison was, rapid, precocious and homogenous, with certain vines promising an abundant yield.
To guarantee optimal quality of the grapes, the difficult but necessary decision was made to thin out a portion of Merlot vines, using a tactic that had not been implemented since the 2008 vintage.
August – Early September 2023: Hot weather at last!
Heat waves on August 16-24 and September 3-10 led to fears that the estate’s grapes would lose some of their freshness and fruity aromas, but the vines seemed to pause their development in the face of unusually high temperatures, to reach perfect maturity.
September 2023: Harvest, plot by plot
Harvest began on September 5 with the white wine varietals, and red wine varietals were harvested between September 12 and 29. There was a significant difference in maturity between the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Harvested early, the Merlot were fruity, delicate and full of energy, despite elevated temperatures late in the growing season. The Cabernet
were harvested later to allow their tannins to reach optimal ripeness and displayed superb tension.
